Levitt brings 31-years’ experience advocating for the highest standards in long-term care as VP and Chief Compliance Officer for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care; Appointed by Governor Jay Nixon, Levitt has served on the Board since 2011

Tutera Senior Living & Health Care Promotes Ryan Fischer to Vice President of Business Development

Fischer will lead managed care contracts, as well as assist with staff recruitment and development, corporate compliance and government relations; Fischer Previously Served as Tutera’s...(more)

Fischer will lead managed care contracts, as well as assist with staff recruitment and development, corporate compliance and government relations; Fischer Previously Served as Tutera’s Director of Managed Care & Business Development

Chasity Edwards, R.N., B.S.N., is One of Three Finalists in the Long-Term Care/Rehabilitation/Geriatrics Award category

Awards announced Nov. 7 at black-tie event at the Intercontinental Hotel

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 21, 2014) — Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified post-acute senior health care services, is proud to announce that Chasity Edwards, R.N., B.S.N., has been named a finalist for the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Awards for the Greater Kansas City Chapter. Edwards is the director of nursing at Tutera’s Monterey Park Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Independence, Mo.

Among 400 nominations, only 92 nurses in the Kansas City metropolitan area were selected as finalists in 19 award categories. Edwards is one of three finalists for the Long-Term Care/Rehabilitation/ Geriatrics award category. One winner for each category will be announced at the black tie awards gala at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, at the Intercontinental Hotel on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo.

“Chasity Edwards exemplifies all that we admire in our high-caliber, compassionate nursing staff who serve our residents with the highest level of care every day,” said Randy Bloom, president of Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. “We’re proud of her professionalism and leadership that deserve the honor of this special recognition.”

With 20 years of experience in the health care industry, Edwards successfully advanced from certified nurse’s assistant to a registered nurse after completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing from William Jewel College with a specialty in geriatrics.

For Edwards, nursing is all about teamwork. She has led the dedicated nursing staff at Tutera’s Monterey Park Rehabilitation and Health Care Center to achieve five-star ratings from the Five-Star Quality Rating System (created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), as well as three years of successful survey outcomes. For two consecutive years, Edward’s staff has been internally recognized as Tutera Senior Living &amp Health Care’s Best Management Team.

“I’m honored to be a finalist for this award. But in my profession, the quality of care is a result of the quality of your entire team,” said Edwards. “Each day I try to show my colleagues that I care and believe in them. As a leader, I strive to remain positive because it’s the key to sustaining high morale and an environment where staff take pride in their work and always go the extra mile to ensure the best care for our residents.”

As an event sponsor, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care demonstrates its support of organizations like the March of Dimes who share the company’s dedication to the health and well being of the entire community. “We’re honored to join the March of Dimes in recognizing the many dedicated nurses across the metro area who make exceptional contributions that often go unrecognized while helping raise funds to support their important mission to improve the health of babies,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Senior Living & Health Care.

Hosted by the Greater Kansas Chapter of the March of Dimes, the Nurse of the Year Awards is an annual event that recognizes the vital role of registered nurses and the many contributions they make in the community, while helping raise funds to support the nonprofit’s mission to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 1, 2015) – Westridge Gardens Rehabilitation & Health Care Center — owned and operated by Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
— has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report on its annual "Best Nursing Homes 2015” list. The prestigious recognition marks the community’s third consecutive year to earn a five-star rating for its consistently high standard of quality care. Westridge Gardens is a 120-bed skilled nursing facility located in Raytown, a suburb of Kansas City, Mo.

To qualify, Westridge Gardens Rehabilitation & Health Care Center had to earn an overall five-star quality rating from Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. Each year, U.S. News & World Report awards a “Best Nursing Homes” designation to facilities that earned the agency’s highest overall rating of five stars for performance in three categories: state-conducted health inspections, how much time nurses spend with residents, and the quality of medical care.

“This national recognition is a tremendous honor,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Group. “It reflects the intensive, daily dedication of the entire staff at Westridge Gardens. They continue to raise the bar in delivering Tutera’s commitment to consistent, quality care that meets the individualized needs of our residents and their families.”

Westridge Gardens’ profile on the US News & World Report website now displays a “Best Nursing Homes” badge to recognize their status as one of America’s best nursing homes. Only 22 percent of all nursing homes in Missouri earned an overall five-star rating. Westridge Gardens’ record of success also includes being recognized locally as the “Business of the Year” by the Raytown Chamber of Commerce in 2013. For more than 20 years, Westridge Gardens Rehabilitation & Health Care Center has provided a safe, residential environment offering a range of services including 24-hour skilled nursing care; physical, occupational and speech therapy, and short and long-term rehabilitation.

?As one of the nation’s premier senior care providers, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care operates 47 senior living communities in 13 states.
Now in its seventh year, the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Nursing Homes 2015 highlights the top nursing homes in every state and nearly 100 major metropolitan areas. It is designed to help the several million Americans who will spend at least some time in a nursing home in 2015 rehabbing after a hospital stay or as long-term residents. On a given day, 1.4 million people, most of them 65 and older, live in nursing homes, according to U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report evaluated nearly 16,000 facilities across the country for its annual report.

Best Nursing Homes provides data and information on care, safety, health inspections, staffing and more for virtually all U.S. nursing homes. A searchable database lets users find highly rated nursing homes by distance as well as by location. Each facility's profile displays health and fire safety violations, performance in important clinical categories and how much time nursing staff spends with residents.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

Tutera Senior Living & Health Care Hires HR Pro Leslie Young to Lead New Initiatives to Become Employer of Choice(PDF)

Young brings 20+ years of HR expertise in senior living to Tutera with plans underway to implement new HR model, mentoring and incentive programs, and...(more)

Young brings 20+ years of HR expertise in senior living to Tutera with plans underway to implement new HR model, mentoring and incentive programs, and employee satisfaction survey

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 15, 2015) — With a dedicated focus to become an employer of choice, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care has hired Leslie Young as director of human resources operations. Young will lead Tutera’s expansion of human resource initiatives to better understand and respond to the distinct needs of its employees serving residents and families in Tutera’s 47 communities in 13 states across the country.

“As we intensify our focus to provide the highest levels of personalized support to our residents, we are making it an equal priority to provide the highest levels of personalized support to our staff. Leslie Young has the ideal combination of human resources expertise, industry experience and profound respect for the work our staff performs every day to guide Tutera in becoming an employer of choice,” said Randy Bloom, Ph.D., president and chief operating officer for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care.
Young brings more than 20 years of human resource management leadership to Tutera with expertise in senior living. Prior to joining Tutera, Young was director of training and development for Skilled Healthcare, LLC (now Genesis HealthCare) — one of the nation's largest skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapy providers — where she oversaw training, recruitment and retention programs for 15,000+ long-term care, home heath, hospice, rehabilitation and corporate employees. As director of human resources for Skilled Health Care from 2007 to 2011, Young provided HR management consultation to support 40 division locations. Previously, Young was a recruiting manager for A Place for Mom, Inc., a national senior living referral service, where she managed recruiting and exceeded company retention goals by 50 percent by refining hiring processes and procedures.

“I’m proud to join a company that is growing steadily while ensuring that it is dedicated to continuously asking and responding to the diverse needs of its staff,” Young said. Tutera recently rolled out a new YOUNITE initiative to challenge each of Tutera’s 47 facilities to ask, listen, create and implement innovative ways to respond to the individual needs and preferences of residents —and staff — in ways that are most personally meaningful.
“Tutera’s new approach to culture change focused on choice and autonomy resonates with me and my experience working with senior living staff across the country. My goal is to ensure the YOUNITE philosophy pervades every facet of our HR efforts to listen and respond to what is most important to Tutera employees,” Young said.

Since officially starting in her new role on January 12, Young is leading Tutera’s new HR initiatives:

Regional HR SupportWith a focus on becoming more employee-centric, Young will decentralize Tutera’s corporate human resources department. The new regional HR structure will enable Tutera to provide personalized support to employees working in six regions. “Tutera’s employees are dedicated to work that is both emotionally and physically challenging. They have a lot of responsibilities to juggle every day,” Young said. “Tutera’s new regional HR structure will allow us to work more cohesively with each community to provide more personalized assistance in navigating critical staffing needs.”

Ovation Retention ProgramWhile Tutera continues to offers performance incentives, Young has introduced a new retention program focused solely on appreciation with no performance criteria. Ovation is a retention program that offers Tutera administrators and directors of nursing monthly points to redeem for rewards, from merchandise and gift cards to special trips. “Our intent is to simply thank them for their dedication and offer choice in determining rewards that are most personally meaningful.”

Employee Satisfaction SurveyIn determining what is most important to the more than 3000 of Tutera’s employees, Young is implementing a comprehensive employee satisfaction survey designed specifically for the senior living industry. The survey will enable Tutera to gather feedback specific to each employee’s location and role. The result will provide perspectives on employee satisfaction in each individual community as well as at the corporate office, along with a comparison to competitive industry benchmarks.

Nursing Mentor ProgramYoung is piloting a new mentor program in five Tutera communities to provide enhanced mentor training to nursing staff to support new hires during their first months on the job. “It’s always challenging to start a new job, but in senior living communities it can be especially overwhelming for new staff to become familiar with a new workplace while learning the personal needs and preferences of dozens of residents. We want to make sure we are giving them the support they need,” Young said.

Tutera’s new HR initiatives led by Young are intended to make a fundamental impact. “Ultimately, everything we do is designed to guide us in letting our staff know they are individually valued and appreciated,” said Joe Tutera, president of Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. “With Leslie Young’s capable leadership and passion for the work of our dedicated staff, I’m confident we will achieve our goal to be nationally regarded as an employer of choice.”

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is a locally-owned diversified post-acute senior health care provider operating 47 senior living communities in 13 states throughout the United States. As one of the nation’s premier senior care providers, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care offers its residents independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post-surgery rehabilitation, memory care and home health and hospice care. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera MD founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

YOUNITE philosophy empowers Tutera communities in 13 states with autonomy to choose, plan and implement creative and personally meaningful change

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 5, 2015) – Tutera Senior Living & Health Care (Tutera) has introduced its new YOUNITE initiative to challenge each of Tutera’s 47 facilities and communities across 13 states to ask, listen, create and implement innovative ways to respond to the individual needs and preferences of residents in ways that are most personally meaningful to them.

“In many cases there’s an underlying assumption among senior living management that they know what residents want and then develop programs with prescribed policies that are implemented with a top-down approach, said Randy Bloom, Ph.D., president and chief operating officer, who has been developing YOUNITE over the past three years and recently completed an 18-month educational rollout. “With YOUNITE, we’re taking a different approach to promote culture change that allows for choice and autonomy in meeting the changing needs and preferences of residents, families and staff across diverse regions and product lines.”

YOUNITE is already sparking dozens of new initiatives inspired by residents and staff in Tutera’s diverse communities — from a new physical therapy partnership with a local grocery store to a new communications system to help residents get better rest, a new motivational break room designed by staff, and a new approach to honoring the experience of loss and grief (details below).

++
To qualify, Westridge Gardens Rehabilitation & Health Care Center had to earn an overall five-star quality rating from Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. Each year, U.S. News & World Report awards a “Best Nursing Homes” designation to facilities that earned the agency’s highest overall rating of five stars for performance in three categories: state-conducted health inspections, how much time nurses spend with residents, and the quality of medical care.

“This national recognition is a tremendous honor,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Group. “It reflects the intensive, daily dedication of the entire staff at Westridge Gardens. They continue to raise the bar in delivering Tutera’s commitment to consistent, quality care that meets the individualized needs of our residents and their families.”

Westridge Gardens’ profile on the US News & World Report website now displays a “Best Nursing Homes” badge to recognize their status as one of America’s best nursing homes. Only 22 percent of all nursing homes in Missouri earned an overall five-star rating. Westridge Gardens’ record of success also includes being recognized locally as the “Business of the Year” by the Raytown Chamber of Commerce in 2013. For more than 20 years, Westridge Gardens Rehabilitation & Health Care Center has provided a safe, residential environment offering a range of services including 24-hour skilled nursing care; physical, occupational and speech therapy, and short and long-term rehabilitation.

?As one of the nation’s premier senior care providers, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care operates 47 senior living communities in 13 states.
Now in its seventh year, the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Nursing Homes 2015 highlights the top nursing homes in every state and nearly 100 major metropolitan areas. It is designed to help the several million Americans who will spend at least some time in a nursing home in 2015 rehabbing after a hospital stay or as long-term residents. On a given day, 1.4 million people, most of them 65 and older, live in nursing homes, according to U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report evaluated nearly 16,000 facilities across the country for its annual report.

Best Nursing Homes provides data and information on care, safety, health inspections, staffing and more for virtually all U.S. nursing homes. A searchable database lets users find highly rated nursing homes by distance as well as by location. Each facility's profile displays health and fire safety violations, performance in important clinical categories and how much time nursing staff spends with residents.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

Tutera’s Ryan Fischer Elected to Leawood Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors(PDF)

As Director of Managed Care & Business Development for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, Fischer brings passion in forming connections within business community to...(more)

As Director of Managed Care & Business Development for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, Fischer brings passion in forming connections within business community to the Leawood Chamber Board

Kansas City, Mo. (February 11, 2015) – Ryan Fischer, director of managed care and business development for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, has been elected to serve a 2015 term on the Leawood (Kansas) Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

In his Board position, Fischer will represent the senior living industry helping the Chamber keep a pulse on issues that are important to area businesses. Additionally, he will contribute to refinement of Chamber policy and strategic direction, provide input on Chamber programming, and assist with recruitment of new Chamber members.

“The Leawood Chamber of Commerce is a tremendous asset to the economic and socioeconomic health of our community” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. “Ryan Fischer will be diligent in representing the needs of the senior living community at large. His insight and passion for forging connections within the business community will serve as an asset as the Chamber seeks to support businesses and create jobs in Leawood.”

A 15-year veteran of the healthcare and senior living industries, Fischer has been with Tutera for four years. He is currently responsible for working with insurance companies in 13 states to help ensure the highest quality of care for residents in the 47 facilities currently operated by Tutera. Fischer is also charged with integrating community-based services into the company’s menu of resident amenities, being a liaison with local hospital boards, and civic engagement with the municipalities in which the Tutera operates.

“Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is a respected leader in the senior living industry in Kansas City and beyond,” said Kevin Jeffries, president and CEO of the Leawood Chamber of Commerce. “We are grateful to have Ryan Fischer join our board of directors as a representative for area businesses in the senior living industry.”

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post-surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities.

In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

About the Leawood Chamber of Commerce
With 530 member businesses that employ thousands of individuals, the Leawood Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to the success of its member businesses located in the Leawood area. The purpose of the Leawood Chamber of Commerce is to provide members with a meaningful voice in the community and to maximize members’ opportunities to enjoy business success by attaining the following objectives:

Serving as the voice of businesses in Leawood

Marketing the advantages of living and working in Leawood

Providing programs and services to help members’ businesses grow profitably and be successful

Tutera achieves intensive development schedule on time and on budget for one of KC’s largest manufacturing deals to produce GM’s Chevy Malibu in KCK

Build-to-suit project will enable cost- and time-saving efficiencies

Kansas City, Mo. (February 6, 2015) – Tutera Group, known for its development of retail, office, senior living and health care facilities nationwide, has completed on time and on budget the new 275,560-square-foot automotive manufacturing facility in Riverside, Mo. for Martinrea International Inc. The new plant will enable the Ontario- based company to manufacture welded, corrosion-resistant engine cradles and automotive assemblies for the nearby GM Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kan.

“Tutera Group is very pleased with the successful outcome of this important project for Martinrea, an industry leader in automotive manufacturing,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of the Tutera Group. “The professionalism of the City of Riverside, as well as the expertise of the development team enabled us to build the international company’s first build-to- suit manufacturing plant on time and on budget.”

Regarded as one of the Kansas City region’s top industrial real estate deals in 2014, the Martinrea Riverside LLC plant is expected to bring up to 300 new jobs to the 15.2-acre site at 5233 N.W. 41st St. in Riverside. Martinrea, a Tier One automotive supplier, broke ground last April in a ceremony that included Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.

“The full-service design of this new facility will enable four different manufacturing processes —stamping, welding, e-coating and modular assembly — all under one roof, creating time and cost saving efficiencies for both Martinrea and their GM client,” said Greg Hoefer, executive vice president of real estate for Tutera Group. “Manufacturing facilities like the one created for Martinrea are anticipated to set the standard for just- in-time Tier One manufacturing plants with inventories within 10 minutes of the assembly line, saving freight costs.”

?“It was a highly complex project that required very tight coordination between contractors, engineers, GM and the manufactures of Martinrea’s industrial machinery to meet an aggressive production schedule,” said Hoefer. “We are proud to complete the project on schedule to ensure Martinrea can now begin installation and testing of robotic and heavy equipment — some weighing in at over one million pounds.”

The plant will begin full production in January 2016 to manufacture suspension and frame components for the Chevy Malibu being assembled at the GM plant in Fairfax.

Kansas City-based Lee & Associates, who has worked with Tutera Group on retail developments, brought the firm to the project based on their expertise and success on other development projects. The Martinrea plant is Tutera Group’s first manufacturing development. “We welcomed the opportunity to diversify and bring our broad experience to the success of this important project for the Kansas City region,” Tutera said.

Tutera Group acknowledged the team effort that made the project possible. “We are grateful to Davidson Architectural, CSF Engineering, Crossland Construction and the City of Riverside who were instrumental in assuring we could meet the intensive timeline that was set for one of Kansas City’s largest industrial projects.”

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

About Martinrea International Inc.
Martinrea International Inc. (TSX:MRE) is a leader in the production of quality steel and aluminum metal parts, assemblies and modules and fluid management systems focused primarily on the automotive sector. Operating 38 plants in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, the Company is a Tier One supplier, serving vehicle manufacturers, automotive suppliers and other industrial sectors worldwide. For more information, visit www.martinrea.com.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (February 2, 2015) — For families and caregivers overwhelmed with understanding the needs of their loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia, Johnna Lowther, director of life enrichment at Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, has published “Through the Eyes of Dementia: A Pocket Guide to Caregiving.”

The new book offers tips and techniques gleaned from Lowther’s 14-year career – most recently at Tutera’s Stratford Commons Memory Care Community in Overland Park, Kan. – working with senior living residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia. “There’s definitely a lot of information out there, but families coping with this disease don’t have the time or energy to read detailed books or sort through reams of information,” Lowther said. “I saw a great need for a simple ‘Cliff Notes’ guide to provide the essential information caregivers need most.”

The 136-page guide, now available on Amazon, outlines Lowther’s approach to meeting the distinct needs of patients wherever they are on the continuum of the progressive disease, reflecting the philosophy of the individualized care provided at Tutera’s Senior Living facilities across the country. “Families are easily overwhelmed with this difficult illness,” Lowther said. “The book offers simple techniques I use every day with Tutera’s residents to help caregivers build a successful relationship with the new person their loved one is becoming.”
Lowther joined Tutera Senior Living & Health Care in 2011 as the director of life enrichment for Tutera’s Stratford Commons Memory Care Community. In January, Tutera expanded Lowther’s role as the director of life enrichment for the company’s 47 senior living communities across the country, 11 of which offer memory care programming. Lowther has developed new memory care education and staff training programs that will be implemented in Tutera’s senior living communities nationwide.

“Johnna Lowther’s new book reflects the extraordinary expertise and compassionate dedication she offers every day to our residents,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Group. “Her work, and her new book, demonstrate Tutera’s guiding principle of individualized care by connecting to the person beneath the disease.”

Recognized as an Amazon “Hot New Release” soon after its publication in November, “Through the Eyes of Dementia” provides caregivers a simple “grab and go” resource that conveniently compiles insights from Lowther’s professional — as well as personal — experiences helping individuals living with this devastating disease.

Since 2001, Lowther has worked in the field of recreational therapy. She is a certified dementia care manager, certified Alzheimer’s disease and dementia trainer, certified activity director, and certified assisted living home operator. Her diverse professional experience includes working with residents and their families in assisted living, long-term care and skilled nursing communities to develop and implement Alzheimer’s and dementia programs to improve the daily lives of memory care residents.

“For residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia in senior living communities, it’s especially important for the staff, families and other care givers to get to know who the resident is as an individual — what they enjoy, what matters to them — so we can use that knowledge to help connect them to living again,” added Lowther.

Lowther extends her professional experience as a volunteer in the Kansas City area community where she is a member of the board of directors for the Kansas City Senior Theater. The nonprofit provides creative arts and aging programs that connect generations through life stories.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

Levitt brings 28 years of experience to the Board as VP and Chief Compliance Officer for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care

Appointed by Governor Jay Nixon, Levitt has served on the Board since 2011

Kansas City, Mo. (February 2, 2015) – Mike Levitt, vice president and chief compliance officer for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, has been elected vice president of the Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators. The two-year term began in January 2015. Appointed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Levitt has served on the Board since 2011.

The Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators is responsible for protecting and advocating for Missouri’s long-term care residents by licensing prospective and current long-term care administrators to ensure the highest quality of care in Missouri’s long- term care homes. The Board is responsible for developing and enforcing standards for long-term care administrators.

“The Missouri Board of Nursing Homes Administrators is truly the voice of our profession within the state,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. “Having an experienced, insightful and passionate professional such as Mike Levitt to help oversee its mission to ensure high standards and quality care is positive news for anyone who works in a long-term facility in Missouri or has a loved one under care.”

Levitt brings more than 28 years of experience as a licensed nursing home care administrator with Tutera Senior Living & Health Care where he oversees Tutera’s Continua Home Health & Hospice Division. Levitt manages government relations for Tutera’s senior living facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states. Levitt brings his ?depth of experience as an administrator working daily with Tutera’s senior living communities across the country to this Board position.

“It’s a privilege to have this opportunity to put my licensure and regulatory compliance experience to work for the residents and staff of long-term facilities in Missouri,” said Levitt. “The care and protection of those in nursing facilities is rewarding work, but it is also complex. As health care changes impact the industry with more complex regulatory requirements, the Missouri Board of Nursing Home Administrators plays a critical role in being the watchdog for the profession by establishing and monitoring high standards for the state’s licensed nursing home administrators.”

As a Kansas City native, Levitt is also the treasurer of the Missouri Health Care Association Board and member of the Health Care Compliance Association. Levitt recently retired as board chair of Our Lady of Mercy Country Home where he led the development of a $7 million retirement community owned and operated by the Mercedarian Missionaries in Liberty, Mo.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (October 15, 2014) – Ilene Shapiro, vice president of IT and accounting information services for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, will present on Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, at the PointClickCare Summit, one of the largest senior care events in North America. Shapiro’s presentation— “Saving Money, Saving Time: Using Eligibility Checking to Reduce Financial Risk”— will highlight Tutera’s successful rollout of its integrated software to ensure best-in-class operational efficiency in residential care for the company’s 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States.

Shapiro is a 30-year industry veteran with expertise in developing and implementing accounting and IT systems for Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. “By partnering with Point ClickCare, Tutera is staying ahead of the curve,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. “Ilene Shapiro will show the senior living industry how we’ve implemented the most innovative electronic records technology to carefully track and manage the care of our residents with immediate status updates from insurance providers, physicians, pharmacies, therapists and other health care providers.”

Shapiro, who is well versed in Medicare and Medicaid, will address the administrative challenges the industry faces to keep pace with change. “Regulations in the senior health care industry change almost daily,” said Shapiro. “It’s more critical than ever for Tutera and other multidisciplinary residential senior care providers to be equipped with technologies that enable the most current and accurate information to provide the highest quality of residential care while maintaining financial and operational efficiencies.”

Shapiro will present with Diana Hollihan, trainer and subject matter expert with PointClickCare, the leading cloud-based software platform for the senior care market. Shapiro serves on two PointClickCare national advisory councils, including the Business Informatics Committee, where she participates in reviewing key indictors senior living facilities are looking to monitor on dashboards, and the CRM Committee, where she advises in the development of inquiry referral and customer relations management systems for senior living residential admissions.

Shapiro joined Tutera Senior Living & Health Care in 1984 as a business manager at Plaza Manor, Tutera’s first senior community in Kansas City, Mo. Last year, Shapiro celebrated 30 years of service at Tutera where she now oversees Tutera’s accounting and IT operations for both corporate and community operations.

The PointClickCare Summit is one of the largest senior care events in North America. Attendees learn from the industry’s most influential thought leaders and experts. The 2014 Summit will be held Nov. 2-5 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.

Community adds 38 new private suites, four couples suites, new amenities and enhanced common areas; Expands services to include skilled nursing and rehabilitation services

The expansion completes Tutera’s rental-based continuum of care model in South Johnson County

Groundbreaking to begin in September

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (September 8, 2014) – Tutera Senior Living & Health Care announces a $7.5 million expansion and renovation of Stratford Commons, Johnson County’s premier memory care community for seniors. The 34,000 square-foot expansion includes 38 new private suites, four couples suite, a rehabilitation gym and new dining venue, among other amenities. In addition to the expansion, Tutera will renovate the existing property. Plans call for upgrades to the dining area, kitchen and recreation areas.

Construction on the expansion and renovation is scheduled to start in September 2014 with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2015. The newly expanded single-story facility will adjoin the existing 29,000-square-foot memory care community. When construction is completed, Stratford Commons will comprise 87 private suites and four couples suites featuring large, private bathrooms, a kitchenette, built-in cabinetry, large exterior windows and high ceilings. Natural light will flood each one, and the physical design elements will ensure that everyone feels at home. In the new dining room, residents will enjoy chef-inspired, nutritious, home-style meals. And, residents can train on and recuperate from surgical procedures on Nautilus equipment specifically designed for seniors in the new rehabilitation gym.

As part of the expansion, Stratford Commons will add two additional levels of care for its residents: skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. These two new services will be provided in addition to memory care – on the existing campus at 12340 Quivira Road in Overland Park, Kansas. Tutera’s rental- based continuum of care model allows residents access to the type of care they require, when they need it, without large up-front “buy-in” costs. This rental-based model avoids the disadvantages of many “entrance-fee” Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC).

“The Stratford Commons expansion rounds out Tutera’s senior living services in South Johnson County,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of Tutera Group. “With the addition of skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, Tutera will be able to offer a full continuum of care – much like a traditional CCRC – without requiring an initial large cash outlay by residents.”

Upon completion of the expansion, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care will provide services representing a full continuum of care for seniors in Johnson County:

Memory Care (Stratford Commons)

Skilled Nursing (Stratford Commons)

Rehabilitation Services (Stratford Commons)

Independent and Assisted Living (The Atriums, Lamar Court and Rose Estates)

Home Health (Continua Home Health)

Hospice Care (Continua Hospice)

Residents in Tutera’s independent and assisted senior living communities throughout the Johnson County metropolitan area can now easily transition to all levels of care within the same organization – Tutera – in whom they’ve already entrusted their well-being. Residents are able to transition to and from independent living to assisted or in-home care services – or even skilled nursing care temporarily (after surgery) or long term.

The architect on Tutera’s Stratford Common’s project is ATA Architects. Headquartered in Kansas City Missouri, ATA Architects is one of the leading architectural, engineering and interior design firms specializing in senior and health care facilities.

About Stratford Commons
Founded in 1998 as an assisted living community, Stratford Commons now provides exceptional memory care services. The community is located on 4.7 landscaped acreage across the street from the picturesque Overland Park Golf Course. The safe, residential environment is staffed by an expert team whose driving mission is to provide excellence in individualized care and services to our residents. Luxurious apartments and private suites, a full schedule of daily activities, and meals prepared by an in- house chef promote senior independence and high quality of life.

About Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
Tutera Senior Living & Health Care is one of the nation’s premier providers of diversified, post-acute senior health care services with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. As a division of the Tutera Group, the company currently operates 47 facilities, communities and agencies in 13 states throughout the United States to deliver a spectrum of services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, post- surgery rehabilitation, memory care, home health care and hospice. The privately held company is dedicated to excellence in individualized services with a mission to provide a personalized approach to senior living and health care in home-like, residential communities. In 1983, Dominic F. Tutera, MD, founded Tutera to provide compassionate patient care with the uncompromising values of integrity, accountability and commitment. Tutera Senior Living & Health Care still embodies those values today. Tutera is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of its residents and their families through senior living and health care experts who inspire and promote individuality and personal happiness.